US Education Information Center Інформаційний Центр з Освіти у США American Councils *DOS-ECA/PAS*
vul. Melnykova 63, Kyiv – 04050 Tel.: (044) 483-25-32 / 483-91-38 Fax: (044) 482-02-20 E-mail:
receptionieac@americancouncilskyiv.org.ua
STUDYING LAW IN THE UNITED STATES: JOINT DEGREES & SHORT-TERM STUDIES
www.americancouncilskyiv.org.ua
Joint Degrees:
Many law schools offer students the opportunity to obtain a law degree and another graduate degree simultaneously through arrangements with the graduate schools of other disciplines in the law schools’ parent university or at another institution. The most common joint degree programs are with graduate schools in business administration offering a Master’s in Business Administration (M.B.A.). Other fields where such opportunities exist include public policy, public administration, political science, history, engineering, and library science. Ordinarily, through double-counting of courses, the two institutions permit both degrees to be obtained in a shorter time than would be required to obtain both degrees separately.
Short-Term Training:
A number of the U.S. law schools provide short-term training for foreign-educated lawyers. Short-term training programs are generally offered during the summer and last a few weeks. Some programs offer a wide selection of courses, from which participants can choose according to their interests. Others focus on a general introduction to the U.S. law, on English for legal purposes, or on other subjects such as intellectual property law or environmental law.
English for Lawyers:
English for Lawyers is regularly an intensive several-week course in the summer time. It is designed to prepare students for the experience of an LL.M. program in a U.S. law school, and can serve as a free standing introduction to the American Legal Education for students interested in less than a full year experience in the U.S. legal education. Students learn to understand the language of the law as well as experience the American law school classroom atmosphere. The course immediately immerses students in reading, thinking, writing and speaking about the law in English and provides general insight and understanding into the American legal system. Students completing the course learn to read and understand cases and statuses, as well as how to use them as tools in solving hypothetical problems. Instruction includes involvement in mock client interviews, negotiations, and oral arguments. In the process of learning legal vocabulary and usage, students develop skills they will need as law students, legal practitioners and scholars. Students entering these courses should have basic competency in English, but may be unfamiliar with language and concepts they will encounter in American law schools. They may also be unfamiliar with how American law schools conduct classes. The English for Lawyers program addresses all of these needs for incoming LL.M. students, as well as for other legal professionals.
Useful Web-Sites: www.law.qut.edu.au/international/study - Queensland University of Technology www.uiowa.edu/web/advisingcenter/ - The University of Iowa Academic Advising Centre http://law.vanderbilt.edu/ - Vanderbilt University Law School
14-Nov-08 \\IEAC\D:\Docstoc\Working\pdf\5ed0b045-df6e-459b-b20c-527e768070c8.doc